


Entangled in What we Didn't Know Existed

by AkiAkabane



Category: Assassination Classroom
Genre: AU, Abusive Shiota Hiromi and Asano Gakuhou, Bookworm Nagisa, M/M, Mentions/inferences of abuse, Rich Nagisa, Romance, Shiota Hiromi being accepting of Nagisa's gender, more tags to come, vampire karma
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-13
Updated: 2021-01-19
Packaged: 2021-03-10 04:47:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 15,411
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27548575
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AkiAkabane/pseuds/AkiAkabane
Summary: Nagisa has lived his whole life within his mothers mansion without being able to go outside. He longed more than anything to be free and finally be able to leave. One night, Nagisa decided to take a walk around said mansion and came across the forbidden East Wing. Menacing golden eyes met innocent azure ones and Nagisa foolishly followed them into the darkness, not sure where they would lead him.
Relationships: Akabane Karma/Shiota Nagisa, Asano Gakushuu & Shiota Nagisa, Kayano Kaede & Shiota Nagisa
Comments: 9
Kudos: 88





	1. He Who Lurks Beyond the Shadows

Nagisa was helplessly bored. The rain drizzled down the bay window in his chamber and it softly pelted the roof, slowly lulling Nagisa to sleep. Even his grey wolf, Mamoru, seemed bored, easily falling asleep due to his surroundings. The strawberry blonde before Nagisa rambled to him about different calculus equations and the most efficient way to solve them. His voice, like the rain, was soft and calming and with every word; his heavy eyelids fluttered and eventually they closed. 

His eyes opened suddenly and he noticed that he was looking up at the blue sky above, littered with fluffy, white clouds. The grass beneath him tickled his exposed skin causing a soft giggle to escape past his lips. He basked in the warmth of the sun’s bright rays before sitting up and taking a look around. There was nothing to be seen for miles, well, no buildings or houses. He was sitting in the middle of a beautiful meadow, colored by the various bluebells that bloomed there. It was a breathtaking sight and he appreciated how calm and peaceful his surroundings were. He wanted to stay there forever; sure the meadow didn’t have any books for him to read or people for him to talk to, but he was free. The wind brushed past him and whispered in his ear, once and a few more times until it finally got what it wanted. 

“Nagisa!”

Nagisa jolted awake, causing his work to fall off his lap and onto the floor. The grey wolf that had been asleep by his side shot its head up at the sudden sound, yet stayed put. Nagisa sleepily looked around at the surrounding room and internally sighed. This was no meadow, only a cage of which he's lived in for years. It was in this room that he only dreamed of being somewhere else. Asano pinched the bridge of his nose, sighing externally. 

“This is why you should’ve used your desk, but you chose to refuse. Try staying awake, Shiota or you’ll never get this,” Asano scolded in a normal tone. Even still, Nagisa flinched at his words.

“Y-Yes, I’ll try.”

Asano looked towards his bay window and sighed as he started collecting his things. 

“Let’s continue this next time, shall we?” he stood up and Nagisa bent down to pick up his fallen work. “Practice a bit before our next session as well please. Goodbye,” he said, quickly leaving the room once he was done speaking. 

“Of course, it’s not like I have anything better to do,” he admitted, going to place his work neatly on his desk. His tone sounded sarcastic, but in all honesty, Nagisa really didn’t have anything better to do. His mother kept him locked in this mansion and absolutely refused for him to go outside. Everything that he could possibly ever need was here she had said, patting him on his head and sending him on his way. Nagisa begged to differ; a normal life awaited him outside. A normal life with friends and normal teenage mischief. 

His feet carried him to and out of his chamber door. He didn’t want to mope more than he already had so now he was off to wander around the same mansion he had for 17 years like something new would pop out and keep him entertained for about 10 minutes. The hallway was dimly lit by candle light, something that tiny Nagisa wasn’t fond of, but as he grew older, he learned not to be afraid of his dark house. It was always this way from evening all the way until night. In the daytime, the natural light from the sun would spill into the gloomy house. It’s attempt to brighten the place up entirely was in vain, but as long as Nagisa smiled, that was all that mattered. _‘The outside world is reaching out to me’_ he’d say with a hopeful glint in his eyes. He’d say that even when each passing day was the exact same. By saying that and seeing the sun cast its glistening, golden rope out for him to grasp, he believed that someday that rope would solidify and pull him from the clutches of his mother’s mansion. 

Pushing open one of two big carefully crafted doors, he sauntered into the library. Walking further into said library, he headed for the fiction section in search of a good book, one that he hadn’t read before. Nagisa swears he’s read every single book this library had to offer, but that’s not entirely true. Besides, he was constantly requesting that his mother get a new shipment of books every now and then and she obliged. 

He came across the fiction section and let his fingers gently run along the spines of the books that sat on the middle shelf. The dust that collected on his fingers was kept to a minimum considering that these books were fairly new. That’s just what Nagisa was hoping for. He wanted to indulge himself in a good mystery with a touch of romance. He chuckled lightly to himself. He always liked for there to be some romance in whatever he read because in reality, that’s as close as he’ll ever get to experiencing it for himself. How many times had he dreamt that someone would love him? Nagisa couldn’t remember. The only love he received was from his mother and oftentimes that love was cold and superficial. As of this moment, he hadn’t seen the woman for two days and she didn’t bother to even send a maid or butler his way just to ask how he was doing so they could send the message back to her. In the past when his mother didn’t bother to reach out to him, he’d be the one to go to her instead, wondering how she was doing, what she was doing. Hiromi found this annoying and every time, he was sent away. She never answered him, but as far as Nagisa could see she was fine.

He wanted love that felt warm and went deeper beneath the surface. Longing for someone to wrap their arms around him and tell him that he meant the absolute world to them was agonizing, especially when trapped behind the walls of his home. Though, there’s no rush; love will find him when the time is right and when it does, he won’t need the comfort of his romance novels to fill the void in his heart.

He grabbed a book with a deep red cover which had golden embellishments that danced along it. Nagisa had never seen a book in this library that was so mesmerizing, so beautiful. 

He was about to leave when he heard faint whispers not too far away from him. He couldn't make out what they were saying so he squatted down and peered around the bookshelf. His eyes immediately went to the dark blue hair of one of the people. Nagisa immediately recognized them as his mother. Now he really didn't wanna get caught. Who knows what his mother would do to him. After about three minutes, his mother and the unknown person walked off. He listens as their footsteps disappear into the distance and he assumes that they left through the other exit. Firmly clutching the book in his hands, he rose from his spot and hurriedly left the library. 

He was to stay out of his mother's affairs or else. No matter how curious he may be and frankly, Nagisa chose life. The journey from his room to the library wasn't necessarily a nice one. He had to walk pretty far, but it was always worth it for a good book. He was almost to his room when someone came around the corner, startling him. 

"Oh, there you are! Uh…Nagisa? What's wrong?" Kayano inquired, looking at his unusually pale face. Kayano was one of the maids that worked around the house and over the years, her and Nagisa had grown close. Her mother worked as a maid there when both him and Kayano were small children, but one day when Kayano was 12, her mother went missing, leaving Kayano there alone. Hiromi gave her the option of working there, basically to replace the maid she lost, and Kayano took it. It was better than being thrown out in the harsh cold of the winter with nothing but rags to cover her body. 

"Oh, nothing. You just gave me a fright is all," he explained, taking a few breaths. "What are you doing over here anyway?" 

"I came by to see you, but you weren't in your room so I cleaned it for you!"

"Kayano!" Nagisa scolded. "I like to clean my room-"

"On my own," Kayano quoted while bobbing her head slightly, having heard him say it a million times. "I know. But I wanted to do something nice for you. Come on, a little help is good once in a while," she smiled.

"I know, but I don't want to give you or the others more work than you need. Cleaning my room is the least I can do," he assured, smiling back at her. 

"What do you have there?" she pointed to the book in his hands and watched as he held it up to show her. Kayano marveled at the front cover, tracing the golden embellishments with her eyes. "It's beautiful…"

"’The Evanescence of The Assassin’s dagger: The Devil’s Pure Touch’. It sounds enchanting, doesn't it? I can't wait to read it!" 

"Aw, you and your romance novels~" she teased, causing a faint red hue to rise to his cheeks. 

"I-It's not all romance! It's a mystery novel with a bit of suspense, horror, and…romance," he whispered the last word and after saying the rest of the sentence with such bravery. 

Kayano patted the top of his head and looked into his azure eyes. When they looked into the others eyes and spoke, it was genuine. That was an unspoken rule between the two that was never to be broken. 

"One day you'll find them, I promise," she spoke with such strength and for a split second, Nagisa felt like he could accomplish anything. Kayano's genuine words always gave him an energy boost. 

"Thanks Kaede."

With a nod, she turned around and left just as quickly as she appeared.

~♡♡♡~

The rain had stopped long ago and because of that, Nagisa found it hard to sleep. Instead of forcing it, he tossed the covers aside and got out of bed. He tiredly walked over to his bay window and sat on the plush cushioning.

Picking up the book he had left there earlier, he opened it and continued to read with the fireplace a blaze in the center of his freakishly large room. Mamoru was curled up on the fluffy snow white rug that lied in front of the fireplace, basking in the warmth as he slept. Within an hour, Nagisa had managed to read to chapter 8 and he was deeply invested in the story. He was more so invested in the main character's life. He felt as if it were his own with how the words flowed so effortlessly and expressed his emotions and surroundings so vividly. Nagisa placed his bookmark on the current page and set the book down. Turning his head, he gazed longingly out of the window, setting his eyes on the front yard that was littered with an eerie fog that seemed to stretch on for miles. 

At times where he'd stare out into the world, he'd get a sudden urge to stretch his legs as a way to remind him that he can in fact move freely, even if it's not where he wants to be. 

He opened his door and peeked out into the dark hallway. It was so quiet that you could hear a feather fall onto the carpeted hall. A beautifully golden three armed candle holder with three lit candles resided on a table right outside his door. He carefully picked it up and started walking down the hall. He made sure to tread lightly, matching the quietness that surrounded him. With all the time Nagisa had on his hands, it was only natural that he learned to move around without making a sound. 

"I haven't been to the garden in a while…" he mused to himself quietly as he grew closer to said place. Yeah, it was dark, but Nagisa found it safe and tranquil in the garden. Besides, he could turn on the lights and nobody would ever know. His mother wasn't really fond of plants. The only reason the garden was still there was because of Nagisa.

He descended the intricate cherry wood staircase which had a dark red rug running down it and continued towards the garden. 

This old mansion tended to creek and settle. Those chilling noises never fail to spook anyone that dared wander around at the late hours of the night. Even Nagisa, who learned not to be so scared of the house he grew up in. He stopped in his tracks and listened carefully. Coming from his left, he could hear what sounded like the floor creaking, almost like someone was walking down that hall. He turned more to his left and held the candle holder out, illuminating the path in front of him. 

His heart lurched and he took a step back. Those sounds were coming from the east wing and nobody went in there. It was basically forbidden, given the story behind it. His mother told it to him when he was little, back when she gave him a bit more attention. There had been sightings of a man with rich red hair and a menacing golden glare. Those who followed him into the east wing came out, but were reluctant to tell others what they had witnessed. 

Nagisa took a breath and got ready to turn back around and continue his journey to the garden when he saw it; that same menacing golden glare he had heard about. He found himself frozen in place, unable to look away from the eyes which seemed to be staring into his soul. 

They blinked then disappeared deeper into the shadows. Nagisa caught a glimpse of his red hair as he walked away. He melted, no longer frozen in place. He found himself still staring into the abyss. His hair reminded him of an apple. One had to wonder if he held the same temptations.

Nagisa was drawn to it like a moth to a flame, whatever it was; he found it mysteriously beautiful. 

His feet shifted towards the entrance and in the blink of an eye he was in front of it, taking his first step into forbidden territory. He continued without hesitation, holding the candle holder out in front of him so it could continue to illuminate his path. 

There was a sudden wind that rushed towards Nagisa gracefully yet roughly. It was whistling which turned into howling the deeper he tread. It occasionally whispered in his ear, sending a shiver down Nagisa's spine. It warned him to turn back in a small, shrill voice, but Nagisa kept going. 

After a while, he came across a deep red door that had golden embellishments crawling on the surface. A strange sense of déjà vu came over Nagisa as he grabbed onto the cold doorknob and walked into the room. The room was pitch black, but even still, Nagisa looked around as if to make sure whatever or whoever he saw wasn’t in there with him.

Nagisa heard shuffling coming somewhere from in front of him and froze. The silhouette of a young man emerged from the shadows and into the moonlight that spilled in through the window in front of Nagisa and once again, those piercing, menacing golden eyes stared into Nagisa's soul.

“Well aren’t you far from home~”


	2. Confronting the Unknown

It was the voice of a man who had to have held a lot of confidence. It almost sounded cocky; the way he spoke so casually to Nagisa. He had never heard it before so Nagisa doubted that this man was one of the many people who worked around the mansion. 

"Who are you?" Nagisa inquired, his tone demanding. Though he couldn't see it, the man raised an eyebrow. 

"I should be the one asking you that."

He remained a silhouette with his eyes a glow. Those eyes beckoned Nagisa to move forward, but he refused since the man before him seemed to not want to show himself completely. 

"Nagisa Shiota," he sighs, finally deciding to answer. "What are you doing in here? This wing is forbidden."

The man chuckled then narrowed his gaze at Nagisa. "You oblivious little thing…better get back before mommy finds out you're missing~" 

Nagisa averts his gaze to the side. "Believe me, it would be a while before she noticed…" he trailed off, pondering what the man had just said then quickly shot his head back up. "How do you know of my mother?!"

The man clicked his tongue in annoyance. Nobody who wandered this far stayed to ask questions. Now he had let that little detail slip. It better not cost him his life at the hands of Hiromi. 

"That doesn't concern you. Go back to your own dwelling," the man said before carefully opening the window behind him and strategically climbing out of it. 

"No!" Nagisa panicked as the man fell and took off running towards the open window. Without hesitation, he stuck his head out of the window and looked down. A look of confusion took over his face as he looked down. There was nobody on the ground lying in a pool of blood or with its limbs bent out of place. He looked around a bit more before pulling his head back inside of the dark room. 

The man watched Nagisa's actions from on top of the roof unbeknownst to the bluenette below. A bit shaken and convinced that he was dreaming, Nagisa scampered out of the room and back to his. If what he had just witnessed wasn't a dream, it wouldn't be hard for Nagisa to think that this old mansion was haunted. If so, he started to wonder why he hadn't witnessed anything supernatural before. 

When he entered his room, Mamoru stood up and walked towards Nagisa. Quickly petting Mamoru on the head, he walked away and put the fire in the fireplace out; his room had just about accumulated the right amount of warmth. After that, he went to open the window, allowing the cool nights breeze to infiltrate his room. When he turned back around, he noticed that Mamoru was stationed in front of the door, staring at it. He was completely concentrated. Nagisa found it strange; as far as Nagisa can remember, Mamoru had never done that and to tell the truth after what he just witnessed, it made the hairs on the back of his neck stand. 

"Mamoru come," Nagisa demanded. 

He obeyed and walked over to Nagisa's bed, jumping onto the surface and curling up next to him. The chilling air from the window accompanied by the warmth of the room soon soothed him to sleep with ethereal golden eyes staring back at him from the abyss inside him. 

A hand was placed on the outside of Nagisa's door. The owner of said hand was filled with such confusion and wonder. It had been a long time since someone had shown concern for him. To Nagisa, it seemed as though he was an intruder, someone with no right to be where he stood. Most people couldn't care less about the well being of an intruder. So then why had he?

~♡♡♡~

The next day, he woke up with the memories of last night gradually flooding his head. He looked down at his side and noticed that Mamoru was no longer next to him. The window had also been shut which Nagisa found weird. He quickly got out of bed and got dressed, leaving the room shortly after.

It was safe to say that the atmosphere around him wasn’t the same as it was before. It went from tranquil to threatening and secretive. Little Nagisa wasn’t one to think that something could be lurking in the shadows, but those golden eyes that seemed to have disappeared without a trace made him believe otherwise. 

As he made his way around the mansion, he stopped in front of the East Wing. It was better lit during the day, but there was still something creepy about it. Not even a splash of sunlight could get rid of the possible evil that lurked there. He turned away quickly and made his way to the indoor garden. The friends that he had made around the mansion over the years usually could be found there during this time of day. He thought it would be helpful to ask them if they’d seen his wolf.

When he opened the door he was immediately tackled by Mamoru who’s fluffy grey fur clouded his vision. Nagisa heard giggling as he felt the roughness of Mamoru’s tongue along his face and once it was gone, he hurried to wipe the cold slobber off his cheek. 

“Looks like someone’s happy to see you,” Kayano stated, walking over to Nagisa followed by Isogai, Yada, and Nakamura.

“It’s adorable!” exclaims Yada, smiling down at the two. 

“He can be very affectionate sometimes,” Nagisa chuckled nervously, scratching Mamoru under his chin. “Actually, I was surprised to see him gone from my room before me. What was he doing in here?”

“Well, we saw him roaming the halls and we thought it was weird that he wasn’t with you. It was when we saw him heading for the East Wing that we lured him away from it and into here,” Isogai explained.

Nagisa’s breathing hitched. “T-The East Wing…? You’re sure?” 

They all nodded as he stood up shakily.

“Whoa there, you’re looking shaky~ What’s up?” Nakamura asked in a teasing tone that melted into genuine concern.

Seeing as Nagisa was close to them, he didn’t see a problem in telling them what he saw the previous night. He took a deep breath before answering.

“Don’t freak out but...last night, I went into the East Wing.”

“You what?!” they all exclaimed in unison.

“Shhhh! Guys!” 

“Sorry...” 

“I really don’t want my mother to find out about this...but I saw them, those eyes that were rumored to have been seen. They didn’t scare me, they...lured me inside in a way…” he continued. 

“Well what happened once you went in?!” Kayano inquired.

Nagisa opened his mouth to answer, but then he closed it. What would happen when his friends found out that there was something lurking inside this house? He didn’t want them to be scared, especially when whoever he was talking to didn’t make a move to hurt him. They instead jumped out of the window as a successful attempt to get away from him no doubt. There was no need to cause a panic when there was nothing worth panicking over.

“I uh...went looking for the person whose eyes they were, but there was no one there. It must’ve been a reflection of some kind.”

“Oh, that’s a relief!” Yada smiled, embracing Nagisa tightly. “You scared me for a sec.” 

“Heh...sorry guys, but I better get going now or I’ll be late for my session with Asano.” 

Yada let go of him, allowing him to get up.

“You’re still getting tutored by that brat?” Nakamura questioned with a scowl on her face. “He better be nice to you and teach you properly or I’ll-”

“That won’t be necessary!” Nagisa assured “Please Rio, I don’t want you to lose your job. And yes, you know his father is well acquainted with my mother so it’s only natural. I’m fine.”

"Well…If you say so," she smiled. 

Nagisa opened the door for Mamoru to leave then after saying goodbye to his friends one last time, he left as well.

~♡♡♡~

"You're late," Asano spat as soon as Nagisa entered his room.

"Sorry about that…I got caught up in a conversation," he watched as Mamoru made his way over to Asano and watched in surprise as Asano gently pet the top of his head. 

"I thought you didn't like Mamoru," Nagisa thought aloud as he took his seat and got his work together. 

Asano blushed slightly and cleared his throat. "I like him just fine, now let's get started," he admitted, quickly changing the subject.

From that point on, Asano continued his lecture on calculus from the previous day then went on to other subjects. Nagisa was fully alert at the beginning, but two hours in, he started to doze off. He fought it until his eyes finally shut and he was met with the comfort of sleep. 

"Nagisa!" Asano shouted, immediately waking him up. He blinked rapidly, trying to focus on Asano through blurry vision and a growing headache. "Why are you so tired?"

He thought about telling Asano what he had told his friends earlier, but he didn't think it was the best idea. Nagisa didn't trust him or his father and he knew that there was a chance that his mother could find out before nightfall. That was the last thing he needed; he still had a few purple flowers blooming on his body from the last mistake he made. 

He hadn't realized it, but his eyes had drooped closed once again.

"Nagisa!!"

He jolted awake and his eyes shot open. "I-I didn't get a lot of sleep last night is all!"

"Likely story," Asano shot back as quickly as Nagisa had answered. 

"It's true! Who are you to interrogate me anyway? One word to my mother and I'll have you replaced!"

"...don't feed me that crap."

Nagisa looked at him quizzically. "What…?"

"You don't think I've noticed?" 

Nagisa raised an eyebrow. He was clueless as to what Asano was referring to. Just then, he focused his gaze downward and watched as Asano gently grabbed his arm and pointed to the skin just below his cubital fossa. Nagisa's heart sank to the pit of his stomach. 

"There was an unusual bruise right here weeks ago. I'm quite certain you didn't do that to yourself nor did you acquire it by accident. If so then I don't think you'd try so hard to hide it," Asano looked unimpressed and Nagisa started to tremble under his intense gaze. 

"Okay? And what are you planning to do with this information…?" Nagisa finally asked, sighing. He couldn't talk his way out of this and even if he tried, Asano wouldn't buy anything he said. 

"Nothing."

Nagisa blinked, taken aback. "Nothing?"

"Correct. I just wanted to prove that you wouldn't do anything to get rid of me. You'd most likely put up with anything your mother does, hiring me to be your tutor for example. If she wants this then I'm not going anywhere…and my father wouldn't get me out of this situation at my request either," he spat, not really wanting to talk about his father.

"What? Why wouldn't he?" Nagisa asked innocently, failing to put two and two together. 

"I don't know why I'm discussing this with you," he groaned, shaking his head. "Let's get back to-"

"Asano…" Nagisa pressed on, wanting him to finish. He could see that Asano was troubled, but they'd come that far in this conversation, haven't they? Besides, it was plainly obvious that anything said in this room would stay there. 

"What happens in my life is none of your concern," Asano spat, glaring at Nagisa. "Do I make myself clear?"

Nagisa jumped. “Y-Yes.”

Asano moved to put away the materials he was using for their tutoring session, his face emotionless. His father was like Nagisa’s mother so to speak, though when he plants a flower, he leaves it to blossom out of sight

"A-Are you leaving already?" Nagisa asked dejectedly. 

Silence took over the room for a good amount of time. Both their gazes were averted from each other since neither wanted to speak. The air grew heavy around them and it became hard to breathe.

"I am. I think we’re done for today," Asano explained while getting up. He walked towards the door and opened it.

"We’re the same!" Nagisa blurted suddenly, tears stinging his eyes.

"That’s enough out of you, Shiota.”

“...Nagisa’s fine,” he assured, trying to get through to him in any way he could.

“I think not. Let’s keep whatever relationship we have strictly business, which means keeping the formalities. Goodbye,” He said coldly as he left the room, shutting the door behind him.

Asano left the room with an uneasy feeling in his gut. It had been a long time since he'd felt somewhat comfortable anywhere and leaving that place almost felt like a crime. He refused to get close to Nagisa in any way, but even still, he couldn’t help but feel the least bit comfortable in his presence. What crappy parents they had. With the way they act, it might just lead one or both to rebel. For now, he would have to calm down and proceed to his fathers home and pray that he wasn’t in a bad mood.

~♡♡♡~

After Asano left his room, Nagisa had tucked himself into bed with a few books at his side and he had been reading ever since.

“I was stupid to think Asano would ever give me the time of day,” he sighed, closing the book he had in his hands. 

Reaching over to his bedside table to blow out his candle, he noticed Mamoru standing in front of the door like he had the previous night when he had returned from the East Wing. There was something about how focused he was on the door that didn’t sit right with Nagisa so he got up and approached him.

Just as Nagisa stopped next to him, Mamoru walked away from the door as if it meant nothing. He had to have been standing in front of the door for a while now so that was hard to believe. 

"Strange…" Nagisa opened the door and peeked his head out of it. No one. But if there was no one in the halls then why did it feel like he was suddenly being watched. The feeling of eyes on him was unpleasant. He shuddered at the thought. Before he could get too frightened, those golden eyes he saw within the shadows appeared in his mind, calming him somehow. 

He stepped out into the hallway and grabbed the candle holder sitting right outside his room. It was foolish really, but this time, he intentionally headed for the East Wing. 

As soon as he got there, he headed straight for the red door.

“Huh…? It’s open already…” he whispered, tentatively walking inside farther than he had the previous night. The door slammed shut behind him and he jumped, tensing up.

“Why’d you come back…? Was it not obvious enough that I want nothing to do with you?”

“You didn’t hurt me nor show malice of any kind towards me. I found that strange, but still, I want to know just who or what exactly the hell you are.”

He heard chuckling as he turned around to stare into his golden eyes. It was continuous, the man in the shadows held Nagisa’s gaze as he slowly stalked out of the shadows and into the moonlight spilling in through the only uncovered window in the room. When he blinked, the trance was broken and Nagisa’s eyes immediately flickered to his rich red hair. He had forgotten that he saw a glimpse of it that night. Subconsciously, he reached his hand out, seemingly wanting to touch the top of his head; only to see if his deep red locks were as soft as they appeared. Karma smirked and Nagisa’s eyes flickered to his teeth. He couldn’t help but notice that his canines appeared sharper than normal.

“Karma Akabane~” he cooed, causing Nagisa’s hand to stop in its tracks. “Satisfied?” 

Before Nagisa knew what was happening, Karma gently tapped him on the forehead with two of his fingers and it all went black after that.

~♡♡♡~

When Nagisa opened his eyes, he was looking up at the sky once again. Something felt different about his surroundings as he sat up. Looking around, he noticed that he was sitting in the middle of the same beautiful meadow as before, colored by the various bluebells and crocosmia that bloomed there. It was different, but the sudden appearance of these new flowers excited him. They made him feel less alone and he could feel the emotions that radiated off them. Before he knew what was happening, he spoke a name that he didn’t even remember learning.

“Karma…”


	3. The Girl in the Rain

Gakushuu's chauffeur never failed to get him home on time, no matter how much Gakushuu hated it. But, being late meant hell for him. Gakushuu closed the door, thanked his driver then walked into his house, making a quick beeline for his room. The floorboards creaked underneath his weight, visibly making him cringe.

“Gakushuu? That better be you,” Asano’s deep, stern voice called out from the main room.

Gakushuu sighed heavily and gave an eyeroll. 

“Yes father. I was just on my way up to my room.”

“Nonsense...why don’t you join me in here,” it wasn’t a question, more of a statement.

With no choice in the matter, Gakushuu made his way into the main room and took a seat in front of his father. The one thing Gakushuu refused to do was to show fear. That being said, he looked his father straight in the eyes. Asano took a sip of tea, all the while maintaining eye contact with his son. His gaze made Gakushuu uneasy, churning his stomach and sending cold shivers throughout his body. 

"Father, could we make this quick? I have things I must tend to."

"Absolutely. That is…if you agree with what I am about to say," a smirk crept onto his face. 

"On with it then."

"Alright," he set his teacup down on the table in front of them then leaned back in his seat, resting his entwined hands on his lap. "You are to be married in five months to the one you're betrothed to."

"Right," Gakushuu scoffed, crossing his arms. "If I were betrothed to someone, I would've liked to have known by now and I trust that you would have told me," with each word, his violet eyes narrowed at the man in front of him. 

"That's where you're wrong. I didn't feel the need to tell you since I of course will be taking care of everything."

"But father-!"

“Enough, Gakushuu,” he stood up, fists balled at his side so tight that his knuckles turned white. Asano’s lips were pressed into a thin, straight line. He swallowed. Never did he want to push his father so far to where his anger showed so much. He was clearly holding back from punching Gakushuu at this moment. All that was left was for him to regrettably agree to what his father was saying so that he could walk into his room and disappear for a bit. But he had to know one thing if nothing else.

Gakushuu opened his mouth to speak. “May I at least ask who I will be marrying?”

Asano smiled, then his eyes flickered; an amused glint in his eye. Gakushuu could plainly see that this marriage was nothing more than an opportunity for his father in one way or another. That or he just wants to be in control of Gakushuu's life as much as possible. In no way would it benefit Gakushuu's life and he knew he would he ever be happy with it, but nothing prepared him for the name that his father let spill from his lips.

“Nagisa Shiota. I trust that you know him decently since you do in fact tutor the poor boy. And I know what you must be thinking,” he chuckled coldly. “You will be marrying a boy, yes, but the public will never know. With his looks, he might as well be a woman.”

“No! I mean, yes! But, you can’t be-!”

“Enough! You will go through with this marriage when the time is right. Do I make myself clear?" he spoke through gritted teeth. 

"Not at all," Gakushuu answered impulsively, biting his tongue as soon as the last word was spoken. 

Asano’s eyes became dull and lifeless. Gakushuu should've ran or at least taken back what he said. Although, he spoke the truth; the last thing he wanted to do was marry Nagisa. His legs refused to move, his mouth was glued shut and the last thing he saw were the stars; those gleaming specks of light. The ones he used to wish upon until his spirit was finally broken. Wishes were things that people made to give themselves hope that one day, what they wished for would happen. If that were the case, Asano wouldn't be where he stood at this moment. The air had a metallic smell to it. Unpleasant, but all too familiar. As expected, the stars faded away as quickly as they had come and the black sky remained, cradling Asano in its arms as it often did when he so foolishly lived.

~♡♡♡~

"Karma!"

Nagisa woke up and jolted up into a sitting position. He gasped as soon as he had yelled, finding it hard to breathe. Clutching the fabric of his shirt between his fingers, he noticed the tightness in his chest; the restriction from breathing was unbearable. He felt light headed and slightly dizzy. 

As he started to breathe normally again, he noticed the lump in his throat, sending him more panic. He felt his forehead, just where Karma had touched him. Nothing was off and he felt totally normal now. The delicate touch had made him feel drowsy and he lost consciousness though it comforted him to know that Karma hadn't hurt him. 

Speaking of the mysterious redhead, he cleared his throat, causing a startled Nagisa to turn in his direction. 

“You rang~?” he was sitting on the bay windowsill with one leg hanging out of the window and the other sat steadily on the sill. 

Nagisa flailed around, dangerously close to the edge of his bed and as a result, he fell off of it and onto the floor with a loud thud. 

"Do you always wake up like that? I mean, you've seen me before and I take it you're not scared of me," Karma chuckled from his seat, watching Nagisa's messy bed head slowly start to rise. Once Nagisa was back on his bed, his azure eyes observed Karma carefully, now in broad daylight. 

He watched as his red hair danced in the breeze and how his golden eyes looked at him so intently as he waited for the bluenette to speak. Instead, he looked down to the rest of him. He had on a black blazer with a dark red button up shirt with a collar underneath. He also had a pair of dark pants on with some black dress shoes. Three or so buttons were undone on his shirt, partially exposing his chest. 

Nagisa has short blue hair and he usually wears a long sleeve white dress shirt, a dark blue suit vest and black pants. Now, when Karma looked at him, he had on white pajama pants and a matching white shirt that was slightly hanging off his right shoulder; his clothes were wrinkled from the fall. 

_There was a flower, a single bright red rose to be precise, which resided in a flower vase on a small table all the way across the room. One of the pedals carefully plucked itself from the flower and softly fell to the table surface._

After Nagisa was done taking in what had been hidden from him before, he sent a small glare at Karma when what he said registered in his mind. 

“What are you doing here?”

Karma jumped into the room and approached Nagisa slowly. Nagisa noticed how light on his feet Karma seemed to be like he was barely walking. Karma stopped in front of Nagisa and as soon as he did, there was a knock at the door; loud and demanding. Nagisa jumped while Karma’s head harshly turned to the door, the knocking continued.

“You have to stop coming to the East Wing or whatever you call it,” Karma demanded in a low tone.

“What?! Why? Why are you even there?!” 

The knocking grew louder with a few more knocks then it stopped.

“How much longer are you going to keep me waiting out here, Shiota?” Gakushuu coldly questioned through the door.

Karma placed a hand on Nagisa’s shoulder and slowly brought his lips up to his ear.

“If you come by there again...I’ll have no choice but to kill you…” he pulled away and made sure Nagisa looked him straight in the eyes. He trembled under Karma’s gaze and his firm hold on his shoulder. With a small nod from Nagisa, Karma released him and quickly made his way back over to the bay window and jumped out of it. 

With him gone, Nagisa let out the breath that had been held captive in his lungs. He made his way over to the door and let a fuming Gakushuu in who didn’t hesitate walking into his room.

“Finally.”

Nagisa gave a sheepish smile. “Sorry for the wait.”

“There’s a chill in here, do you mind?”

Instead of answering, Nagisa went over and closed his bay window. He lit the fireplace afterwards then sat down and got his work together like usual. Asano took a seat in front of him and did the same.

“Alright, let’s get on with Trigonometry. Now-”

“But, Asano, we were still on Calculus. You-”

“ _Never_ cut me off when I am talking. I don’t care what we were doing last time, we’re doing something new today.”

“But how could I possibly begin to understand a new form of math when you’ve taught me the last form incompletely? Not that I need to know Calculus to do Trig, but that’s not-”

It was hot, then the harsh object moved, allowing Nagisa to feel just how much it burned. The burning turned into a stinging sensation, then it was icy, but hot to the touch because when he placed his hand just where Gakushuu had slapped him, it burned like nothing else.

“I ought to teach you Topology instead, but I’m tired of this…” Gakushuu seethed, face red and body tense. “I’m tired of you! Now, if this is going to continue to work, you need to listen to me! _Nothing_ you say matters!” he took a deep breath and exhaled sharply. He felt his heart stop and fall into the pit of his stomach. What he was doing, and saying shocked him just as well as Nagisa, but he couldn’t help it. He was mad at the world, mad at his father. Nagisa just got in the way.

“What’s gotten into you…?” Nagisa cried, his voice breaking. He reached out to grab Gakushuu's shirt and he forcefully pulled away from him, wincing. Just as he did, Nagisa's eyes flickered to his temporarily exposed stomach. He could've sworn he saw a hint of purple-ish red adorning his skin. 

Gakushuu just glared at him then turned on his heel and started walking. “I’m going to spend whatever time I have left in the library. Do not come near me,” he closed the door and Nagisa fell to his knees.

“What the hell…?”

~♡♡♡~

It was pouring rain outside hours after Gakushuu had left Nagisa's room. He was long gone; Nagisa was sure of it. He spent all the time that he usually would've spent learning curled up on his large bed, lost in thought. Not just one, but many. What Gakushuu has to endure, his messed up home life as well, and Karma. Was it normal to feel this helpless? He couldn't possibly do anything about Gakushuu's dad or his mom and he believed Karma's threat to be true. There's sure as hell nothing he can do dead.

"That's enough, that's enough," he repeated, snapping himself out of his thoughts. He climbed out of bed and left his room. 

His feet shuffled slowly along the floor; his face held a small frown. His thoughts threatened to flood with everything that he was trying not to think about so instead, he looked up at the walls. Hundreds of priceless portraits of his ancestors hung up on the walls. In each hallway there was at least one with their name etched below. It was rare for Nagisa to look at them because he used to think that their eyes followed him. In order to feel less creeped out, he'd look away and focus on his destination. Of course he doesn’t feel like that anymore which is why, looking into their eyes now, he noticed how their eyes resembled his mothers; cold and dark. Lifeless with dollar signs in them. Faint, but there. 

He found it weird that he didn’t know anything about his ancestors. If they weren’t of any importance, he’s sure that his mother would’ve gotten rid of their portraits by now. Everything within this mansion was of some importance to his mother. 

“Enlightening your children with stories of their ancestors must be a thing of the past, huh mother?” he quietly mused to himself as he approached the twin staircases located in the front of the house. 

“Crap, I wandered too far…”

There was a bang at the front doors, so forceful that Nagisa could feel the ground beneath him shake. The sudden loud noise had scared him so now his body was shaking, the way that it might when met with something unfamiliar which might terrify some. A usual indication of fear.

Then, there was another bang at the doors.

“Hello?! A-Anyone?!” a woman’s high pitched voice sounded from behind the door, breathy and panicked.

Nagisa crouched down and grabbed onto the newels which supported the banister. He was still in the hallway at the top of the twin staircases, scared out of his wits. The banging continued and with every bang, his heart lurched. There was an actual person at the front door, pleading for help. He wanted to help whoever it was, but he’d never come into any sort of contact with an outsider other than Gakushuu; it wasn’t allowed. And of course, the fear he had of his mother took over. 

Just then, he heard the sound of heels clicking along the floor below and then she came into view with her short, blue hair and her long, dark blue fur robe. Nagisa lowered himself more even though it was dark and it was very unlikely that his mother would see him.

She yanked the doors open with such force, but even still, they only opened slightly. Nagisa could barely see the woman outside nor the outside itself. 

"O-Oh, m-ma'am. M-May I please come in?" her teeth chattered as she spoke and she was soaked from head to toe, shivering violently as she stared Hiromi in her dull eyes. 

"No," Hiromi didn't even bat an eye. She moved to close the door without another thought. 

"W-Wait! Please! I-" her voice was blocked out as soon as the doors had been shut. 

Hiromi sighed, obviously annoyed by the unwanted visitor at her doorstep and left; the sound of her black heels clicking in her wake. 

Heartless. That's the first word that came to Nagisa's mind as soon as his mother closed those doors. A huge wave of frustration overtook him. Tears stung his eyes and something warm was building up in his chest. His frustration slowly melted into sadness and he stood up. 

He didn't know if his mother was still close by and he didn't care, he marched down the nearest staircase as quietly as he could manage and headed straight for the kitchen. There was a back door in there and he had full intentions of letting the woman inside. 

He stopped at the end of the staircase and checked his surroundings before he ran for the kitchen. Once inside, he closed the door and crept towards the back door. 

When he opened it, it was alarming. The rain had never sounded as loud as it did now that he was faced with it and it was hard for him to see with how the rain was crashing down. Clearly, he didn't think this through, but he had come this far. There was no turning back. Bolting out of the door, he ran towards the front of the house, squinting his eyes. He needed something, a figure, to pop out or make some kind of movement in order to find the woman. 

He opened his mouth to scream out for her, but immediately closed it. Anyone who heard him would be on his ass within a matter of seconds. He proceeded carefully as he grew closer to the front. The wind picked up, blowing the rain towards Nagisa who covered his eyes. He was shivering and completely drenched. At this point, he knew that he had no chance in finding her. He even came to the conclusion that she left completely.

He found himself questioning which way was which. Turning around and walking blindly wasn't ideal so there he stood, a shivering mess within the raging storm. 

A small, cold hand grabbed his arm and he tried yanking it away, uncovering his eyes and attempting to get a look at who had grabbed him. 

"H-Hey!" he found himself exclaiming fearfully. 

"P-Please! W-Where d-did you come from?! C-Could you let me into your house?! J-Just until this rain lets up!" 

The voice belonged to the woman he had heard before and in knowing so, he calmed down. He could feel her violent shivers and he heard the desperateness in her voice. 

"Y-Yes, of course. B-But, I can't see," he admitted quietly. 

He could feel the little movements she made and he figured she was looking around. At least one of them could somewhat see. 

"O-Over there! D-Did you leave that door open…?"

"Y-Yeah, could you lead me that way please?"

Silently agreeing, the woman took Nagisa and guided him back into his kitchen where he immediately closed the door. Standing there to catch his breath, he didn’t notice the third presence. Neither did the woman until she caught her breath and looked around.

She didn’t scream, she just backed away, ready to retreat out of the door she just entered from. Nagisa recovered and lifted his wet bangs from his forehead. The first thing he saw was Takuya Muramatsu standing in front of them holding a rather large frying pan.

“Who the hell is she?” he questioned, taking a small step towards the two.

Nagisa’s blood ran cold, but he could deal with this. “L-Look, she’ll only be here until the rain lets up. Mother wouldn’t-”

“I asked who she was. Nothing more.”

Nagisa looked at her, waiting for her to introduce herself. She got the message and stood up straight.

“I’m Beatrix. Beatrix Avangale. Pleased to meet the two of you,” she talked in a hushed tone, giving a small bow.

“Wait,” Muramatu’s head darted towards Nagisa. “Nagisa, you went outside…?”

He took a breath. “I did and I’m asking you to keep that little detail to yourself. Now, what are you doing in here at this time of night..?”

“I was passing by and I thought I heard a noise. Be glad I came in here and no one else,” he huffed. “You were never here. I was never here.” he quietly put the frying pan back where he got it from and quickly left the kitchen and made his way to his room for the night.

Nagisa smiled and thanked Muramatsu before turning to Beatrix. 

“Well Beatrix, follow me.”

~♡♡♡~

Nagisa and Beatrix made it back to his room where they immediately dried off. After that was done, Nagisa pointed her in the direction of his bathroom so that she could wash up. When she was done, he lent her a pair of his pajamas which surprisingly fit her well. He had her be alert as he disappeared into the bathroom to take his shower. Luckily, no one came by Nagisa’s room knocking or anything so for the rest of the night, it seemed as if they were in the clear. They didn’t talk much. Nagisa didn’t know if it was because of how tired they both were or if it was the fact that he’d never seen or even talked to anyone outside of the mansion. He went with the former. Making conversation wasn’t rocket science even if it felt like it sometimes. Shrugging it off, he laid a few blankets down on the floor beside his bed then lied down. He insisted that Beatrix take the bed and she didn’t argue. All that was left to do was to fall asleep and hope that the abyss would let them go before it did anyone else in the house and if it didn’t, everything was sure to fall apart. 


	4. Escaping isn't Always as Easy as Some Might Believe. Isn't that right, Doctor?

Beatrix walked out of the bathroom, still dressed in her borrowed pajamas. Just as she did Mamoru came stalking towards her growling and she squeaked, now frozen in place.

“U-Uh, Nagisa…” she sang fearfully. “Why do you have a wolf in your room…?”

He chuckled and called Mamoru over to him and watched as he lied next to the bed. Beatrix sighed in relief and relaxed the muscles in her body.

“I'm surprised you didn't see him last night, but you might've been a bit too tired to. He’s my pet and I’ll make sure he doesn’t hurt you,” he assured. “He’s mostly here to protect me, but why do I need it when I’m never in any sort of danger?”

“Good point, but I wouldn’t know the answer you’re looking for.”

"Right then...I know your name. Now I think more information is in order," 

Beatrix nodded then sat down on the bed in front of him, careful to avoid Mamoru. Beatrix looked about eighteen. She was blessed with beautiful brown eyes and dark brown skin with big black curls that touched her shoulders.

"Okay, well...I'm not from here. I moved here a little over a year ago with my parents," Nagisa took notice of how she spoke with a modern rp British accent. If it weren't for his private tutoring and his vast knowledge of the English language, he probably wouldn't be able to understand her.

"Where are they now?" Nagisa asked cautiously, watching as her facial expression fell. 

"Six feet under…in the cemetery about two blocks away actually."

"Sorry-"

"Don't do that. It’s not like you killed them,” she reprimanded.

“Right, well...my turn then,” he inhaled sharply. “I’m Nagisa Shiota, 17 if that matters any...and I’ve lived here all my life. In this house to be precise. I’ve never been outside...not until yesterday. My mother’s pretty strict about that along with other things.”

“Your mother? The one that opened the door for me?” Nagisa nodded and Beatrix scoffed. “She’s a witch if I’ve ever seen one.”

Nagisa raised a brow and Beatrix’s eyes widened. “S-Sorry, I didn’t mean anything by that! Honestly...she just turned me away though in those conditions...no human should ever…” she trailed off, shaking the surfacing thoughts away. There was something she wasn’t telling Nagisa, but it wasn’t of any importance. 

“She’s no saint, I know,” Nagisa chuckled, not at all bothered about how other people might see his mother. He loved her, but it was true; her eyes say it all.

There were two knocks at the door, making both himself and Beatrix jump.

“Nagisa, darling~ Let me in,” Hiromi demanded him.

He was shaking, his hands, his legs, everything. Beatrix was breathing heavily. One look at Nagisa told her that if they didn’t pull it together, they were screwed. She put her hand on Nagisa’s and felt as he jumped at her touch.

“I’ll hide under the bed. Just see what she wants,” Beatrix looked into his eyes which held so much fear in them. She saw how scared of his mother he was which made her fear for her own life. Moving quickly, she quietly got on the floor and climbed under the bed. 

Nagisa got up and cleared his throat. He took a deep breath before opening the door.

“Yes mother?” his voice wavered.

She pushed him aside and walked into his room. “Asano won’t be coming today. He’s fallen ill,” she scanned his room, making Nagisa nervous.

“I-Is that so? He seemed fine yesterday.”

“Yes well, even with him gone, I expect you to study. We can’t have you slacking off. That’ll do nothing for your future,” she turned to walk out of the room, not bothering to spare a single glance at Nagisa.

He watched her start to leave and suddenly, he didn’t feel so fearful anymore. That fear he was feeling melted away and anger replaced that.

“Hey mom!” she didn’t stop; his words fell on deaf ears. “Wait just a second! Where the hell do you get off doing this, huh?! Y-You come all this way just to tell me something like that and then you leave just like that?! No “How are you?” or “I’ve missed you, sorry that I’ve been so wrapped up in my work to see you”?! It’s almost been a week now-!”

His tangent must have got her attention because now she was standing right in front of him, face red. 

“WHO ARE YOU TO QUESTION ME?! I AM YOUR MOTHER, YOU DON’T TALK TO ME THAT WAY!” she grabbed his arm and squeezed it. 

At this point, the veins were popping out of her forehead. “ALL THAT MATTERS TO ME IS THAT YOU’RE DOING WHAT’S APPROPRIATE FOR YOUR FUTURE! THAT’S WHY YOU’RE HERE! IF I DIDN’T NEED YOU I’D- I’D-” she huffed and puffed, gripping his arm tighter by the minute. Nagisa’s cries of pain went unheard as she let go of his arm, quickly grabbing him by his shoulders and kneeing him in the stomach. He fell to the floor with a thud and Hiromi walked away, briefly stopping in the doorway. “You’d be dead…” she left, closing the door behind her.

~♡♡♡~

After that ordeal, Beatrix rushed to his side and made sure he was alright. He painfully assured her he was, lifting himself from the ground while clutching his stomach. Eventually, their conversation resumed and Nagisa found out that Beatrix had nowhere to go. He immediately offered for her to stay with him. A burst of excitement filled Nagisa, but all it took was one little sentence to bring him back to reality.

“I don’t think it’s a proper good idea for me to stay here,” Beatrix told him, pacing the floor.

“But you said you have nowhere to go. I insist,” Nagisa groaned, holding his stomach.

“With that barmy somewhere roaming the place?” she scoffed. “No thanks.”

“Alright...I won’t hold you here," he sighed. "I’ll lead you out tonight.”

Nagisa was just starting to feel happy with having a new acquaintance and everything. Something about the whole thing made him feel normal. His mother just had to ruin this for him. He just had to pick a fight with her as well, right in front of Beatrix. It wasn't the best time, he knew; but what he was feeling, the boiling anger which was lying dormant inside him, came to light and he had to let it lose. 

"I'd take you with me if I could. If I had a place to live…Nagisa…has your whole life been like that…?"

"I'm afraid so…it hasn't always been this bad though. Just wait, the day will come when I don't have to abide by my mother's orders. I won't have to be held captive in this hell," he smiled hopefully. 

Beatrix smiled with him, but then, her eyes narrowed and gained a certain sharpness. 

"Listen, promise me that you'll be alright…" she pleaded. 

He couldn't look into her eyes and answer truthfully. If he did, he just knew he'd break down or start planning his escape. Nowhere to go sounded better than being there a minute longer.

"I'll be fine."

~♡♡♡~

Quietness fell on the house again and Nagisa thought it was as good a time as any to scope out the place.

"Stay here, I'll be right back," he told Beatrix before leaving. 

She agreed and he left the room, wasting no time getting to the entrance of the kitchen. He was about to go inside, but something didn't feel right. It almost felt like an extra presence. Familiar yet out of place. Instead of going into the kitchen like he originally planned, he found himself walking towards the main room of the house. 

When he turned the corner, he jumped. The air got caught in his lungs and he wasn't breathing like he had forgotten how. A tall, muscular build loomed over him, his prideful eyes taking in Nagisa. Nagisa loathed the familiar discomfort he only felt when Gakuhou was around. 

"At ease, Nagisa," he chuckled, not so secretly finding his fear amusing. 

"Nagisa?" his mother questioned, coming into view behind Gakuhou. "What on earth are you doing out of your room…?" she sneered. 

"I-I just wanted to stretch my legs a bit before I turned in for the night."

"Wrap it up, would you? You do have a tutoring session tomorrow."

"...but I thought Asano was sick."

"I assure you, it was only for a day. Gakushuu is feeling much better," Gakuhou explained, a devious look in his eye. 

"That's right, now be a good boy and return to your room," Hiromi urged. 

"Alright…" Nagisa bowed slightly to Gakuhou. "It was nice seeing you again Dr. Asano," he lied, quickly turning on his heel and returning back to his room. 

“And Nagisa…?” his mother stopped him, causing him to turn around.

“Yes?”

“Don’t ever have an outburst like that again...especially with our guests here.”

“Wait...huh…?”

“Oh, sorry dear. I forgot to mention that Gakuhou and Asano will be staying with us for a while.”

“Our house is being remodeled and your mother insisted we stay. I do hope that’s alright with you~” Gakuhou chimed in.

Nagisa didn’t say a word. Instead, he quickly left before the overwhelming urge to argue against them staying there took over like he knew it would. 

Gakuhou chuckled, taking a seat. "My, how he reminds me of Gakushuu~"

~♡♡♡~

His encounter with Gakuhou and his mother left a bad taste in his mouth. He never liked to see his mother and Gakuhou together, especially now that he suspects that he treats Gakushuu rather harshly. Two people of practically the same mindset are more dangerous together than apart.

Nagisa sighed, opening his bedroom door. "I'm back-" he stopped, eyes wide when he saw Kayano sitting on his bed. 

"So…you're bringing girls into your room now, huh…?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't wait to put Karma in here some more. It's getting there.


	5. The Foolish Belief of Freewill Will Only Kill You in the End

“Look I can explain…”

Kayano raised an eyebrow then grabbed his arm and dragged him off to a corner of the room, away from Beatrix. Nagisa studied her carefully. He had a feeling that she was about to chew him out before he spoke a single word.

“You found them, didn’t you,” she practically squealed, bouncing with excitement.

“Wait, what?!”

“Come on, don’t be like that! You can tell me.~ I told you you’d find them.”

“You keep saying “them.” Who are you referring to?” 

“Your love interest!” she shouted, quickly covering her mouth afterwards. “Oops…”

Beatrix jumped up from her seat and carefully approached them with a confused look on her face.

“Y-You think? No, absolutely not,” she defended, earning an offended look from Nagisa that made her skin crawl. “No offense.”

Kayano pouted. “Then...what are you doing here? What’s going on?”

“I let her in last night. It was pouring and mother turned her away without a second thought. I couldn’t just leave her out there…”

"But Nagisa! What if she finds out?!" 

"By the way, Nagisa, what happened? Are we good?" Beatrix chimed in. 

"Ah…no. My mother's down there with a guest and it turns out he will be staying here for a while. I don't feel like it's safe to get you out with him here…" 

"Great," she sighs. "Just perfect."

"It'll be fine…In fact!" Nagisa's eyes lit up and he shuffled towards the door. "You don't even have to stay in here if you don’t want to."

She raised an eyebrow, intrigued for the moment. She got up and glided against the floor, blindly following Nagisa out of the room. 

"Hey! What the hell are we doing?!" 

"Trust me," Nagisa assured, walking down the hall. “It should be safe for you to stay in the room right next to mine. I basically have this hallway to myself and people rarely come up here. They’d have no reason to go in here,” he stopped in front of a door which was identical to his own. He felt like there were eyes on him, making his skin crawl. Shuddering, he flung open the door. His eyes immediately flew to Gakushuu and his heart almost stopped. There was a pain in his chest, like he had been shot. His head started throbbing and an indescribable pain was beating at his skull. 

Nagisa’s eyes subconsciously scanned Asano’s pale skin just as said boy threw a shirt over his body, then narrowing his gaze at the petite boy in his doorway. Beatrix was well hidden from his piercing violet eyes.

“Do you mind?” he spat, snapping Nagisa out of his shocked state.

“W-What the hell are you doing in this room?!”

“This is my room from the time being to my knowledge. Now Leave.”

“But why this room…?” he mumbled to himself.

There were a ton of rooms in this house. Nagisa knew that his mother could’ve given him another room. He, as well, could've had a whole hallway to himself. He didn’t have to be burdened with a room right next to Nagisa’s. Nagisa didn’t know how he felt about the whole situation either, thinking back to their last encounter. His cheek stung a bit at the memory.

Down the hall behind Nagisa, a figure was approaching him. The clicking sound of her shoes approaching closer behind him didn't become evident until Beatrix grabbed his shoulders, harshly shaking him out of his thoughts. 

"Nagisa! Hurry up, don't you hear that?!" 

Being snapped out of his thoughts once again, he broke out into a cold sweat, eyes wide with his whole body frozen. If they turned back, his mother would most likely see Beatrix and if they went the other way then Asano could possibly see her. It wasn’t ideal to wander the house aimlessly with Beatrix either. Nagisa scrambled his brain for what to do like they had the time. The clicking only grew louder with Beatrix clinging to him. 

Kayano, who was still lounging in Nagisa's room, quickly sauntered out of it and straight towards his mother. 

Beatrix looked behind them at the sudden sound of her voice and sighed, looking back at Nagisa who just continued to stand there. 

"Nagisa- whoa!"

He shifted around and grabbed Beatix’s arm, pulling her inside Asano’s room. Quietly closing the door, he turned to Asano who was already spouting words of disapproval. 

"Shiota, have you been listening to a word I said? And who might this be? Answer and then I want you out."

Kayano's muffled voice could be heard from within the bedroom, growing closer with the sound of Hiromi's heels. 

"I-I'll explain later just please…let her pass…" Nagisa pleaded, his voice slightly above a whisper. 

Kayano's voice continued to ring out, until Hiromi's powerfully demanding voice cut her off mid sentence. 

"Dear, I do believe I heard Nagisa up here. I meant to…how you say, visit him. I imagine that boy’s not asleep yet"

Nagisa's breath hitched in his throat. Asano and Beatrix listened from behind him. 

"I-I was sure he left to go walk around a bit before bed as he does often. I just finished cleaning his room and he wasn't there. T-That's when I heard you Mistress!" Kayano beamed. She could keep playing this role all day. 

"Is that so…? I ordered him to return to his room a while ago. That child…” she sighed. “Then I'll check in on Asano. If I'm really being honest here, I came up here to see him in the first place. Now go, we have guests over so I expect this house to look better than it does on a daily basis." 

“Y-Yes! Of course…” hoping she did enough, she quickly left, leaving Hiromi in front of Asano’s door.

Beatrix took it upon herself to locate Asano's closet and hide in it. Not even a minute later, there was a knock at the door. 

"Enter," Asano called out. 

Barely waiting for his word, she marched in, her dark blue, sheer silk robe with its fluffy fur trim flowing behind her. "Gakushuu, darling, how are you-" Hiromi's eyes darted over to Nagisa who stood by the bed, staring at her. "Oh…Nagisa. I was told you were still away." 

"Well...no. I just came by to say hi to Asano. Isn't that right?" he turned to Asano, a pleading look on his face. 

"That is correct. Apparently he didn't know that I was staying in the room next to his. Upon questioning one of the maids about my whereabouts, he was informed and came straight over."

"How sweet~ In fact, this is how you two should act towards one another given your inevitable future together."

"W-What do you mean by inevitable future together?!" Nagisa shouted, quickly slapping his hands over his mouth. 

"I guess I can tell you now, I mean, I was informed that Asano is already painfully aware."

Nagisa snapped his head over to Asano who trained his attention to the wall across the room, clearly avoiding eye contact. 

"You're getting married to Asano, Nagisa," she stated bluntly, her face devoid of any emotion. "And you don't get to disagree."

Seeing as she didn't want to hear anything else from him, she left the room. 

Nagisa turned back to Asano. "Y-You knew about this…? And what, you just accepted it?!"

"I didn't observe you do anything differently, Shiota. I suggest you watch what you say…"

He couldn’t deny Asano because he knew he was right. His father was the same as his mother; who were they to talk back?

“Let’s go Beatrix,” Nagisa called out to her before leaving, leaving Beatrix to hurriedly leave Asano’s room herself and find her way back to his.

~♡♡♡~

Night comfortably fell over the Shiota house with the moon at its peak; thousands of little lights littered the dingy sky, some brighter than others. Nagisa arranged for his little guest to stay within his closet rather than out in the open next to his bed. It was big so she had her space. With her hidden away, it gave him a little peace of mind. However, his mother’s words from earlier managed to flood his head again, making whatever peace he had lost.

‘You’re getting married, Nagisa’ she said. It rang out in his head over and over. Now, all he could bring himself to think other than those words was why? Why was a marriage necessary? A marriage to Asano, specifically, of all people. He hadn’t been given the chance to get to know someone and fall in love with them himself. 

Never did he want to be forced into a marriage where there would be no love in between him and his partner. Marrying him would just keep him tied to her. Maybe staying under her control was inevitable. The thought of escaping seemed so far now and gradually, it continued to drift away.

“I don’t like your new girlfriend.”

Nagisa’s eyes flew open and his focus traveled over to the window which he swore he locked. There sat Karma with his half lidded eyes trained on Nagisa.

“Karma…? She’s not-” he sighed exasperatedly. “Why are you here?”

“Get rid of her.”

“No. Why do you have a problem with her anyway?”

“She’s suspicious...her aura is unsettling. It’s akin to yours, but stronger...I want her gone.”

“No, Karma, she’s not leaving for a while. Why don’t you just leave? Nobody gave you permission to take refuge in our house anyway. At least she has permission.”

“From whom? Considering where she’s hidden, I imagine your mother is unaware of her presence,” he gave a mischievous smirk, allowing Nagisa to catch a glimpse of his fangs once more. He was oddly unaffected by them as well as his inhuman nature.

“She has my permission. No one else’s is needed.”

Karma shot a glare at the closet door then moved to take a seat on Nagisa’s bed.

“Alright then.”

“A-Alright? After the fuss you just made...all you have to say is alright?!”

Karma turned away, his gaze somehow landing on the grey wolf in the middle of the room with the orange flames from the fireplace burning brightly behind him. 

“I’d rather not quarrel with you specifically. Just...keep an eye on her, would ya? That wolf too for that matter…”

“Sure thing,” Nagisa chuckled lightly from Karma’s latter request. 

Karma gave a small smile then softly threw himself backwards, placing his hands behind his head. 

“What are you-”

“I can sense your distress,” he said nonchalantly, staring blankly at the ceiling. “Talk.”

“I’d rather not…besides, what could you possibly do to help me? And why do you want to…?”

“Honestly? Nothing, but It’s good to have someone listen to your problems, right? I wouldn’t usually do this, but I’m bored.”

“Right…so I’m getting that you don’t really care about what’s bothering me…”

“3...2…”

“Alright, alright,” Nagisa inhaled deeply before exhaling softly. “I’m being forced into marrying my tutor and I’d rather not be a part of it.”

A small chuckle escaped Karma’s lips. “Who’d wanna marry that stuck up bastard?”

Nagisa chuckles in return. “He’s...not that bad, it’s just that I wish I could have the freedom to choose who I get married to when I’m ready. I want the chance to fall in love myself...and you’ve gotta stop stalking me…”

“I don’t!” 

“Then how do you know about everything that happens around me?”

“Because I just happen to see these things.~”

Nagisa sighed, missing the way Karma turned his head slightly to look over at him. His eyes were soft and carefully trained on Nagisa’s petite form. The amount of distress he sensed in Nagisa had faded, but it still lingered within him. 

The bright red rose across the room lost another petal which slowly fluttered down to the table’s surface

“Well...I hope you get the chance. I never got one...and I sure as hell never will,” Karma sat up and scratched the back of his head awkwardly. Nagisa eyed him curiously and even still unbeknownst to the two, a few strands of red gently descended from Karma’s head and onto the surface of Nagisa’s bed. 

“Never…? I’m sure you could-”

“Never,” Karma said sternly, cutting him off. He jumped up from where he sat and gilded back to Nagisa’s window, sparing him a single glance before he left.

“Ah...and don’t forget what I told you before.”

He was gone so quickly that Nagisa didn’t even recall seeing him leave. Without his presence, the room felt a lot lighter and a lot bigger. The crackling of the fireplace brought him out of his thoughts, briefly convincing him that every encounter he had with Karma was a dream. He strongly believed it until he found himself staring down at his comforter. Two strands of short, red hair lied on top of it, just where Karma had been.

He picked them up to observe them closer, but he couldn’t quite feel them between his fingers.

As he stared at the hair in wonder, he remembered a short excerpt from a book he’d read on dreams a while ago. It read:

_“In order to deliberately enter someone’s dream, you’d have to ingest a piece of them. Having their DNA within you will make it easier for you to find your way into their dream. This only works once, meaning if you wish to enter their dream again at a different time, you’d have to, again, consume a part of them.”_

He’d wanted to try it at the time, as disgusting as it might sound to ingest someone’s hair. It was an especially alarming thought when he knew next to nothing about Karma, but he did it anyway. 

HIs head met his white, plush pillow and his eyes fluttered before he forced them to stay closed. Gradually, he lost consciousness and all knowledge of himself or rather, the reality of his life.


	6. A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes, but a Nightmare is a Hell you Can't Escape

Nagisa woke up slowly, blinking the nonexistent sleep out of his eyes. Staring up at the ceiling, he found himself squinting at the dark red color that met his eyes. He stared at it until the gears in his head started to turn. Little by little, he began to realize that wherever he was is where he wasn’t supposed to be. Sitting up, his eyes scanned the sheer, red curtains hanging from the now apparent canopy bed. 

Getting up, he couldn’t help but notice the strange familiarity the room possessed. The gears continued to turn and memories flooded his head; memories that a small part of him wished would've stayed forgotten. 

He remembered his imprisonment within his own home and his controlling mother, what his future held in store for him, what his own room looked like as well as the entirety of his home, and lastly, he remembered that enigmatic red haired boy he'd met in the East Wing. 

Standing there, he fought with himself. Any normal person who saw someone lurking around their house would've immediately informed someone when convenient. 

_'You don't converse with strangers. Ever,'_ his mother's voice rang through his head. 

Nagisa had conversed with Karma on a few occasions, strangely unbothered by him whatsoever. He could tell that Karma wasn't one to be feared. Honestly, he felt more fear in his own mothers presence. And almost more than anything, Nagisa wanted to know more about Karma. 

Then, the memory of what he'd done before bed. The excerpt, the hair; was he in Karma's dream right now?! Panicked, he turned around and dashed towards the door. 

It opened slowly and Nagisa stopped in his tracks, jerking forward from the momentum he'd built up. Then, a familiar mop of red hair came into view, messier than he'd seen it before. When Karma looked up, his sharp, golden eyes met Nagisa's fearful azure ones. It only took a moment for both their eyes to widen as realization washed over them. Shock and confusion swarmed Karma as he slipped into the bedroom and shut the door, carefully advancing towards Nagisa. 

He scoffs, rolling his eyes. “Why’d you manifest in my dream? You weren’t here.”

He sighed, snapping his fingers. Nagisa only looked at him with confusion and it wasn’t long before the same look overtook Karma’s face.

“The hell?” he snapped fingers again. Nothing happened.

"Sorry that I'm not disappearing like you want." Nagisa said rather sarcastically. 

"If I didn't know any better I'd think you're the real Nagisa.”

Nagisa thought for a moment about actually telling Karma it was him, but the result of that was unknown. In the end, he thought against it.

"So…is this your room?"

Karma nodded then led Nagisa out and into the hallway. It was brightly lit and Nagisa could detect the faint sound of a piano being played in the distance. So, enthralled, he turned right and followed the sound. The light illuminated the golden walls around them as they walked along the red carpeted floor. Karma walked beside him silently, listening as the music grew louder. 

What he didn't notice were the now small, rapid footsteps approaching them and from the looks of it, neither did Nagisa. 

“Big brother! Big brother!”

A small girl with a head full of red hair matching Karma’s latched herself onto his leg.

“Akane? What are you doing?" Karma questioned with a small chuckle, crouching down to ruffle his little sister's hair. 

"I was looking for you! You promised you'd play with me!" she cried, tears filling her eyes. 

"Hey, hey. I still will, just a little later, alright?"

She sniffled, wiping the tears away before looking over at Nagisa who just watched the exchange rather awkwardly. 

"Who's he…?" 

Karma looked up at Nagisa as if he didn't know he was there then back down at his sister, softly pinching her cheek which made her giggle. 

"A friend of mine, don't worry," he gently pushed her forward then stood up. "Now run along. I'll come find you later."

"Kay!" 

Despite the push she was given she ran towards Karma's legs and gave them a hug, earning an 'oof' out of Karma when she collided with him. 

"I love you big brother…" she whispered loud enough for him to hear. 

Smiling, he picked her up and planted a kiss onto her forehead. 

"And I...love you too Akane." he said with hesitation in his voice. 

When he put her down, she took off with a smile on her face and the lingering thought of her play date with her brother. 

"That's the last time I ever said that to my sister…and we never did get to play that day..." he told Nagisa as the two watched her retreating figure disappear behind the corner. "Well then," he breathed in, collecting himself. "Shall we continue?"

Nagisa, concerned and a bit baffled by his statement, nodded timidly and so they continued their walk towards the still playing piano music in the distance. 

After a while, they found themselves in the main room. Nagisa's attention was drawn to the corner where a man sat playing the piano. When the man noticed the two boys, a smirk found its way onto his face and he started playing faster. The current song melted into a different one entirely and all the while, the music sounded so elegant and lively even as it slowed down again. It was soft and melodic, pleasant to their eardrums. 

"That's my dad. Satoshi Akabane," he nudged Nagisa softly, whispering to him. 

"He plays beautifully," he mused. 

There was a sour note then the music stopped all together. Nagisa cringed at the abrupt stop, but then when he looked up he saw Satoshi staring at him, his face devoid of any emotion. 

"Beautifully? Really…?" his father complained, rising from his seat. “I’d prefer if you’d describe it as "magnificent" or "spectacular" or maybe even "moving", but beautifully?!” he gave what seemed like a childish pout.

“Uh…”

“Don’t mind him,” Karma chimed in, eyeing his father. “He’s just being dramatic. I can tell he appreciates your compliment just fine.”

At that Nagisa smiled. He wasn’t really used to being around adults who’d joke with him or had a flamboyant personality to them so he felt solace in Satoshi’s presence already.

“Done playing already dear?” questioned a woman as she entered the main room with Akane by her side. This woman was Kana Akabane, Karma and Akane’s mother. This time Akane was seen clutching a fluffy white stuffed bunny in her arms.

“Not at all. I was just getting started darling.~ Take a seat.”

Once the two girls got seated, with Akane placed on her mother’s lap, Satoshi started playing. Nagisa stood and listened for a long while, that is until he saw Karma slip away from everyone eventually. Curious, he followed him out and found himself wandering into another room not too far away from the main one. It was just a normal fairly small sitting area. 

“What are you doing in here? Don’t you wanna be in there with them?” 

“No...I don’t wanna be in there when it happens…”

“What are you-” 

A sharp sound cut through the air, sounding much like the screams of a woman and child. Satoshi could be heard in the background arguing and putting up a fight. The commotion only grew louder. Vases and priceless statues fell over, shattering on the ground. Several footsteps were heard and it was hard to determine what direction they were headed. 

A big bang was heard followed by Satoshi groaning and Kana pleading for someone to get away from her husband. When he heard that, Karma leapt forward but before he could manage to leave the room, Nagisa grabbed his arm.

“What the hell Nagisa?! Let go!!”

“No! You just told me you didn’t wanna be in there so I feel like I shouldn't let you go! Look, I don’t know what exactly is going on, but could you let me in?!”

Karma huffed out a breath, yanking his arm out of Nagisa’s hold. He stomped towards the closet near the front of the room and opened the door. It was a seemingly normal closet with various coats and jackets hung up from wall to wall.

“Let’s go Nagisa...”

“U-Uh, right!”

Nagisa ran into the closet, pushing the coats and jackets aside as much as he possibly could then watched as Karma knelt down and started feeling the wall. 

Eventually, he stopped and to Nagisa’s surprise, pulled off a square portion of the wall. Feeling Karma’s eyes on him, Nagisa got the message and crawled through the hole. Karma followed suit and put the piece of wall back in place as soon as he was inside. 

When he finished, they were perfectly hidden behind the wall in a concealed crawl space. If they would’ve stayed out in the open any longer, they would’ve been found. 

The footsteps ran past and throughout the room when Karma had been fiddling with the wall, trying to get it to go back the way it was. The faint cries of not Karma’s family, but the staff and any visitors that were within the mansion echoed throughout the walls.

Karma huddled up in the farthest corner, hugging his knees to his chest and hiding his face in them. Nagisa moved to sit next to him in the same position, their legs brushing against each other’s.

He wanted to talk to him, but the blood curdling cries of the others outside stopped him from doing so. A small whimper escaped Karma and his body trembled. It pained Nagisa to see the boy he’d sought out to be incredibly tough and witty so scared and angry.

“This is the day it happened…” his voice quavered. He was doing everything in his power not to break down more than he already had which wasn’t a lot on the outside. “My family, well…they were massacred. A-As you can hear.”

“B-But why?!”

Karma lifted his head up, eyes trained on Nagisa. He glared coldly at the smaller male.

“Because...they were framed for murdering Ichika…”

“Who?”

"The Yakuza's queen…or in other words, their leader's lover,” his hands came up to rest on his head and he clutched his hair between his fingers. “They found her body in one of the bedrooms that we obviously didn't use and somebody must’ve tipped them off after they planted it there...I know it!" 

Nagisa placed his hand on Karma’s back and he flinched at his touch, but he didn’t move or object to it. His pounding heart and heavy breathing calmed down as Nagisa gently rubbed circles on his back. His hands fell from his head and rested beside him. 

“D-Do you know who…?” Nagisa carefully asked after a while. Neither of them noticed how the house fell quiet with the occasional creek. It was an old house after all. It was bound to age.

“I didn’t then, but after 10 years of fending for yourself and roaming around the house you start to learn things and well…” 

Karma moved away from Nagisa, traveling over to the entrance of the crawl space. It didn’t take much force for it to come down, so when Karma kicked it, the piece of wall broke into two. Tiny pieces of wood flew outwards and a cloud of dust came rushing in. Nagisa started coughing and during his coughing fit, Karma crawled out, leaving the closet entirely. 

It was dark and grey. The gloomiest his house had ever been. The curtains were torn, glass shards littered the floor and what Karma hoped for the love of god weren’t blood droplets, but he knew better. What else could they have been? The Yakuza infiltrated his house and left no witnesses behind. They didn’t take anyone either, they never planned on it. Instead they granted the fate of Ichika to the entire house of Akabane.

Not completely recovered, Nagisa followed him and when he finally did stop coughing, he felt a breeze brush past him, causing him to turn around. 

Nothing. Only the closet they’d just left was behind him.

“Ah, Karma is it? Well I’m assuming it’s you. You’re Kana’s son, no?” a man with a Russian accent inquired. 

Nagisa turned around immediately at the sound of the new voice. There he saw the man dressed in dark clothing standing next to one of the many broken windows.

“That’s me…” Karma’s head hung down low, his hair casting a shadow over his eyes.

Just then, Nagisa noticed that they were back in the main room. The beaten piano in the back of the room gave it away as well as the room's size. He missed how the blood stained stuffed bunny peeked out from beneath the piano’s rubble.

The man grew closer to Karma. Nagisa tried calling out to him, but no words came out and his feet were implanted into the floor, leaving him stuck there with no way of reaching out to Karma.

“I’ll make this simple and fast. Oh, and listen because I’ll only say this once,” the man warned, now standing mere inches away from Karma who kept his gaze downcast. “You’ve got your mother’s blood coursing through your veins and well...she slipped away before I was done having my meal. Ever since, I’ve only had a taste for her blood and I’m sure your blood is as sweet and warm as hers was.~ Now hold still…”

Before Nagisa knew what was happening, the man snatched Karma, turning him around to face Nagisa. Karma’s neck was tilted to the left, an odd position, but then the man started leaning down, growing closer to Karma’s neck. The moonlight spilling into the room illuminated the man enough so that he caught a glimpse of his fangs. They were more prominent than Karma’s. Said boy looked up and smiled at Nagisa who still yelled despite the soft smile Karma gave him.

“This man you see attacked my mother years before the Yakuza's attack. She and my father were quite the travelers, but after her run in with this guy that all stopped and they settled here. Ever since, he's been looking for her and he was disappointed to hear of her death, but he didn’t stop. Instead, he picked up on the scent of my blood,” he chuckled weakly. 

“It was the smallest cut too. If only I’d been cut a few days later...he would’ve been gone and I...I’d be dead.”

Still yelling out to him pointlessly, he watched as the man sank his teeth into Karma’s neck. Nagisa found himself wincing, feeling pain on his neck in the same place where the man had bit Karma. And then, there was black before his eyes shot open and he was met with the snowy white ceiling in his own room.

Karma probably didn't want him to see that. He probably wanted to keep as much of the past concealed as he could. But now Nagisa definitely knew of the monsters that lurked outside. One had to wonder… 

"Is that why…she keeps me in here…?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In Karma's dream, everything always plays out almost the exact same way as things happened the day his family was murdered. He noticed this and as a result, sometimes he'd play along and do what he did that day as well. He figured it was better than doing what he wished he would've done because he's tried that and every time he's ignored and that was rather painful for him.
> 
> When his sister said that he'd promised he'd play with her, he could've said "we can play now, Akane. As promised." But Akane's response would've been the same, or not the same because she acknowledged Nagi, but she would've responded with a "kay" and a "I love you big brother." Karma could've charged in when the Yakuza was attacking his family, but his presence would've been ignored because he wasn't in there with them when it happened that day. He was in fact in the sitting room and as a 7 year old, he was scared. Instinct took over and he hid in the crawl space, way longer than he should've too. He spent two nights there, afraid to emerge.
> 
> Also, Nagisa's presence interfered with his dream. They acknowledge him and respond to him, but other than that, everything's still pretty much the same from that day. If Nagisa would've tried to interfere with anything major, like swaying his sister to go play which would result in her not being in the room for the attack or trying to save Karma's family and results could vary with that situation. Karma's dad's personality is also accurate or it's what Karma remembers him to be/act like in situations/moments like that. 
> 
> This is Karma's reoccurring nightmare. It doesn't change drastically. He's basically ignored, trapped with the decisions he made in the past as a 7 year old boy. And never has he once awoken after saving his family. He's always awoken after cowering in fear. Safe, but traumatized.


End file.
